Collapsible boat



Sept. 30 1924. 1,509,827

F. J. COLLET COLLAPSIBLE Box'r Filed Feb. 2. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "Se t. 30, 1924. 7

F. J. COLLET COLLAPSIBLE BOAT "Filed Feb. 2 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 30, 1924.

FRANCIS JAMES COLLET, OF SW'ANIGK, SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND.

GOLLAPSIBLE BOAT.

Application filed February 2, 1924.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FnANoTs JAMEs Con- Ln'r, a British subject, residing at Swanick, near Southampton, in the county of Hampshire, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Collapsible Boats, of which the following is a specification.

A collapsible boat'according to this invention is articularly characterized by the employment of a flexible skin with longitudinal stiffeners secured to it whereby it may be readily distended to a predetermined form. The skin with its stiffeners can be laid out substantially flat and readily rolled up into compact portable form. When assembled the boat receives its shape by the outward springing of the stiffeners which are connected to stem and stern transoms and one or more intermediate thwarts.

A further characteristic feature resides in an improved thwart structure which automatically distends the skin when it is erected.

These and other features will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a collapsible boat according to this invention with a streamlined body of so-called pram form.

In the drawings;

Figure l is aside elevation;

Figure 2, a plan;

Figure 3, one end view;

Figure 4, the other end view;

Figure 5, an internal fragmentary view of the stern;

Figure 6, an elevation of the thwart structure;

Figure 7, an inverted plan view of the same; and

Figure 8, a transversesection of the same.

Referring to the drawings, the skin of the boast consists of a sheet of waterproof material 1, such as canvas, formed with tabs 2, 3, 4: and 5 as shown, or pleats or folds, the meeting edges of which are laced or otherwise secured when the skin is in position as shown at 6 and 7 in Figures 3 and 4.

The skin when laid out fiat is of substantially rectangular form with the end portions spread out or folded flat to facilitate rolling up for stowage purposes. The end folds are constructed in a water-tight manner as will be readily understood.

Flexible longitudinal reinforcing members or stiffeners 8 of suitable form are secured Serial No. 690,113.

in pairs on opposite sides of the sheet 1 by riveting, stitching or other watertight mechanical process. The upper members constitute gunwales 10 and 11 while the lowermost members form a keel 12. The members 8 and 9 serve as external and internal protective streaks While the outer member of the keel and its adjacent streaks protect the bottom of the boat when beached. With these longitudinal members attached, the skin can be laid out and rolled up into compact form, and it constitutes one component of the boat proper.

The other components consist of the stem 13, the stern 14 and the thwart 15. These parts, in the form illustrated, give the boat its pram shape. One method of detachably securing the stem and stern to the skin is shown in Figure 5 in which 16 and 17 are hook members secured to the gunwales 1O and 11 respectively, and engaging eyes 18 and 19 attached to the stem 14. The bolts 20 engage in perforated plates 21 carried by the keel 12. These fastenings may take a variety of forms, those shown being by way of example only. When the skin is in position and made taut as hereinafter described, the hooks 16 and 17 cannot be lifted out of their eyes accidentally.

The thwart structure illustrated comprises two similar panels 31 and 32 hinged at their upper edges on pins 33 and 34. These panels are cut away between the hinged portions to form a recess for a seat 35 which is hinged to the panel 31. This seat is of suflicient width to overlap the upper edge of the other panel 32 when the thwart structure is erected in position so that it is supported by both panels.

When erecting the boat, the thwart structure with its panels wide open is laid flat across the spread out skin unit and hooks 37 and 38 formed on the pins 33 and 34 are engaged in eyes carried by the gunwale bat tens of the skin unit. The panels of the thwart are then drawn together with the aid of pulley blocks 39 and light tackle l0 so as to lift the gunwale battens and distend the skin unit uniformly round the bottom and sides of the thwart. When the skin unit has thus been distended to the proper degree of tautness, the thwart is held fast in the erect position by fastening the tackle round a cleat 41.

The panels 31 and 32 are preferably proportioned in relation to the skin unit so that the angle included thereby when the boat is assembled is not less than 30 degrees.

I claim:

1. A collapsible boat comprising in combination a flexible skin, longitudinal stifleners secured to said skin, end transoms, means for attaching said transoms to certain of said stifieners whereby the skin is distended, and means for enfolding the ends of said flexible skin about said transoms.

2-. A Collapsible boat comprising in combination a flexible skin, inner longitudinal stifi'eners secured to said skin, outer longitudinal stiiieners secured to said inner stiffeners and said skin, a transom at each end, interlocking means on said transoms and on the uppermost (gunwale) inner stifi'eners and the lowermost (keel) inner stiffener respectively, said parts when interlocked distending the skin into pram form, flaps at each end of the skin, and means for closing and securing said flaps about the exteriors of the said transoms lGSPBQt-lY'Gly.

3. A collapsible boat'comprising in combination a flexible skin, inner longitudinal stiffeners secured to said skin, outer longitudinal stifi'eners secured to said inner stifencrs and said skin, a transom at each end, an intermediate thwart, interlocking means on said transoms and on the uppermost (gunwale) inner stifieners and the lowermost (keel) inner stifiener respectively,

interlocking means on said thwart and the gunwale stilieners, said parts when inter locked distending the skin into pram form, flaps at each end of the skin, and means for closing and securing said flaps about the exteriors off the said transoms respectively.

4:. In a collapsible boat the combination of a flexible skin, longitudinal stiffeners including gnnwales secured to said skin, an inverted substantially V-shaped thwart structure adapted to open and close, means for attaching the ends of the roof of said structure to said gunwales in the open position, and means for closing in the limbs of said structure so as to raise the gnnwales and distend the skin, and means for locking the said structure in predetermined stages of erection.

5. A collapsible boat comprising in combinationa flexible skin, longitudinal stilleners including gunwales and a keel secured to said skin, stem and stern transoms, means for interlocking said stem and stern with said gunwales and keel, means for entolding and securing the ends of said skin about. said transoms, a collapsible thwart, means for interlocking said thwart with said gunwales, means for expanding and contracting said thwart in said skin, and means for locking said thwart when the skin is distended thereabout.

FRANCIS JAMES COLLET. 

